


Fallen Leaves Grow New Trees

by AMMO121



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Badass Inuzuka Clan, Gen, M/M, POV Outsider, Tsume has been Kibas partner in like three life times
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-25
Updated: 2018-01-25
Packaged: 2019-03-09 08:59:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13478097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AMMO121/pseuds/AMMO121
Summary: This isn't Kibas first go around.





	Fallen Leaves Grow New Trees

**Author's Note:**

> This isn't finished, and I don't know if I'll finish it, but it wasn't doing any good just sitting there so here you go. 
> 
> I hope this comes out alright. Enjoy!

“That’s not true,” Iruka stops mid sentence, hand half raised to the blackboard. The voice wasn’t one he’d expect to interrupt, but this is the students clan he was talking about, so he really shouldn’t be surprised. He sighs and turns to face the class.

  
“What is that Kiba?” Iruka asked. He’s not sure if he’s more surprised that the Inuzuka was actually awake or that he was paying attention to the lesson enough to pick out a mistake.

  
“The Inuzuka Clan is older than any other clan in the village,” Kiba was sitting up straight and his eyes were intense, showing more focus than Iruka’s ever seen from the wild boy outside combat practice.

“They were just one of the last Clans to move to Konoha, that doesn’t mean that they’re younger than the rest of the Clans.”

  
Iruka places the chalk back on the board and listened with genuine interest as Kiba talked. This could be a good opportunity for everyone to learn a little more about the ninkin clan, himself included. Well, as long as Kiba is telling the truth, but Iruka has years of practice sniffing out lies, and he doesn’t smell one right now. So he smiled and asked Kiba where his Clan was from before they came to Konoha.  
Kiba looked thoughtful for a moment, trying to remember things taught long ago.

“Hmm, no where really, we mostly wandered around Fire Country during the century before they came to Konoha, but before that we lived in the mountains near the border for at least a thousand years before the nearby villages ran us out. I’m not sure where we lived before that, but I’m pretty sure we were under a different name at that point so it would be pretty impossible to find out.”

  
Hmm, interesting. It’s a wonder how little you could know about Clan because of all the secrecy. He’d better stop Kiba before he unwittingly reveals something he shouldn’t. He goes to open his mouth--.

  
“So you’re all mountain people!” Naruto yells, pointing at Kiba. Iruka can feel both a fight and the headache that it’ll cause coming from a mile away. “Did you live in caves? And hunt with spears?”

  
“No you idiot! Only an idiot would even try to hunt a bear with a spear! You’d have to get way too close!”

  
“So you did live in caves!”

  
“Shut up!”

  
Iruka dove forward to try and intercept Kiba’s lunge.  
He doesn’t give a thought to how Kiba kept saying ‘we’ while he talked about his clan.

  
(/ \\)

  
Hinata stared at the rocks in nerves disappointment. She’d been looking forward to exploring the caves with her team all week, Kiba had made it sound so fun. He’d talked about playing hide and seek with his sister in them when he was younger. He thought that it would be a great way to help them train in the dark without having to stay up all night. It was a good idea, both her, Shino-kun and Kurenai-sensei had agreed - with, she’s ashamed to admit, no small amount of surprize.

  
And now they're left standing there, staring at what was obviously a long since collapsed cave entrance.  
Kiba took a couple stops forward, dragging a finder over one of the rocks and coming away with it covered with moss. He sniffed it, scowled furiously enough to have her taking a couple steps back, and wiped his finger off on his pants. He shook his whole body, only stopping when Akamaru whined in complaint from his place tucked in Kiba’s hoodie. A hand came up and gave several apologetic pats to the small white head. He seemed lost in thought for a moment before straightening with a huff.

  
“Sorry, I didn’t know that this entrance was closed off, I know a few more we could check out, but this is the closest one to the Village so it might be a bit of a hike.”

  
“I don’t know Kiba,” Sensei hummed doubtfully, inspected the rocks with intense red eyes. “If this one gave out then we have no idea how stable the whole system of caves really is. It might have been sheer luck that none of them caved in on you and your sister when you were little.”

  
“Ah come on Sensei!” Kiba yelled in denial, clearly unhappy with the turn of events. Hinata took another step back and slid sideways so that she was halfway behind Shino. Shino-kun is nice like that, letting her hide behind him when she needs it. “This is a one time thing, if they didn’t cave in when Hana used Fang-Over-Fang in them then they won’t collapse on us while we play hide and seek.”

  
“Oh, then how did this one end up like this?”

  
“I don’t know!” Kiba answers staring at the cave-in like it had personally offended him. “An earthquake?”

  
“One that we didn’t feel in the village?”

  
“It’s not like I’m the only one that knows that these tunnels are here, someone else might have collapsed it.”

  
“I’m not going to let you guys get your selves killed in a cave-in, the paperwork alone would be a nightmare.” Kurenai-sensei turns to leave, grabbing ahold of Kiba’s hoodie to get him to follow. Neither boy or dog were happy with being dragged around, Akamaru yelping as his air was cut off.

  
“But Sensei can’t we at least go and see the other entrances?”

  
“It might not be a bad idea,” Shino interrupts, pushing his glasses up. “Why? Because it would be tactfully sound to know of such a place so close the village, in case such a place would be need on any future mission or incase the village is attacked and we need to hide civilians.”

  
“I-It could be a-a sec-rat,” She suggests softly, half expecting to be shot down straight out. Instead Kiba turns to her and Shino-kun eagerly, obviously happy to have them on his side.

  
“Yeah!” Kiba agrees. “A Team 8 Secret meeting place!”

  
Kurenai looked between her charges with the look of a woman that knows she’s fighting a losing battle. She sighs suddenly feeling like this wouldn’t be the last time she was out voted, but she guesses that it’s better than the fighting she’s seen in some of the other teams. “Fine, but we’re turning around and heading back if I so much as suspect any instability.”

  
They all called their agreement and turned to take off again. Hinata paused when she noticed that Kiba wasn’t following them. He was staring at the cave-in again, the piles of rocks didn’t give under his glare.

  
“Kiba-kun?” She asked hesitantly, hoping she wasn’t intruding in on anything but knowing that they need him to lead them to their destination.

  
Kiba doesn’t startle, just sighs something she only half catches before turning to follow the rest of their team. She spares a second to trying to understand what he might have meant, before decided it wasn’t her place.

  
Plus, “Damn Fox.” didn’t make any sense anyway.

  
(/ \\)

  
Shikamaru wants to say that this was a drag but doing so out loud would be too much work and would only give Ino more reason to bitch at him. He guesses that it’s better than having to train like was already planned before Asume saw Kurenai and her team eating out. Shika really hope that he never falls in love, it’s too troublesome.

  
The Nara buried his head even deeper into his arms as the two teams chattered. Hmm, maybe he'll be able to get a nap in. Ino is busy talking at Hinata and Shino in turns and probably won't notice enough to bitch at him about it.

  
Just as he was about to nod off a new voice voice snapped him back into awareness. He opened one eye to see who he has to hold responsible for ruining his nap. He's more than a little surprised to see Inuzuka Hana standing at the end of the table. She's facing her brother speaking to him in a language that Shikamaru wasn't familiar with. It was sounded like grunts and growls but Kiba nodded every once in a while and grunting back what he suspects are replies to questions. Hana gives a shrill sound that brings a bird to mind rather than a canine, before nodding at the rest of the table and walking away, ninken in tow.

  
Kiba turned back to his dinner without a look towards the now silent table. Shikamaru watches him for another moment before closing his eyes again. Interesting, but it can wait for later, when he's done napping.  
(/ \\)

  
Shino is not always good with words, but he figures anyone would be hard pressed to find words during a time such as this. Why is that? Because most people are at a lost when it came to confronting people regarding dead loved ones.

  
Shino couldn’t make out what was once written on the stone through the many years of elemental abuse. Could this be the grave of Kiba's father? Or maybe some other long dead family member? Why would he bring them here? He obviously visits often if the familiarity between him and Ino's mother is anything to go by. She had the flowers ready for him when they dropped by before coming here.

  
'Here' being an open field deep inside the Inuzuka Clan grounds. Shino had no idea how large the Inuzuka grounds where before he started visiting regularly after he was placed on a team with Kiba. He hadn't exactly expected that this is where the Inuzuka was leading them, though he can't say it didn't cross his mind. He'd dismissed the thought once he realized that they weren’t heading to the village cemetery. Why? Because he had no prior knowledge of the Inuzuka's having a private cemetery.

  
“My Clan doesn't mark our graves,”Shino's eyes snap back to his team mate, watching his usually rowdy friend. Kiba's face was blank, his eyes clouded over in a way that had a part of Shino wanting to reach out and pull Kiba from whatever thoughts put him in such a state. “But I couldn't not….”

  
Kiba doesn't finish, and Shino can't be certain what he might have said. He is at a lost, because of the helpless glances that Hinata was throwing him and the far off look in Kiba's eyes. Shino is not great with words, but he decides that maybe this time he could do without them. He kneels down before the grave stone and clasps his hands together in prayer. He doesn't know if this is crossing lines and braking walls that not even being teammates for over a year should even touch, but – as Kiba's said in the past – friendship is a two way street, and if Kiba can climb through his window at two in the morning just because he couldn't sleep, then Shino could do this.

  
“Thank you for entrusting us with Kiba's care,” It's not his voice, as close as the words were to his own thoughts. Hinata was kneeling on the other side of Kiba, eye closed and hand clasped. They don't know who they're thanking but it's obviously important.  
And that's all that really matters.

  
(/ \\)

  
It's another quiet day and Sakura is really sick of them. She's a shinobi and she doesn't do quite very well, and life's been pretty quiet since Naruto left for his training.

  
She sighs into her tea and wonders why – here surrounded by almost all of her friends – she feels so lonely.

  
“Hey Sakura,” Ino's worried voice cut through her thoughts. “Anyone home?”

  
“Ah,” Sakura says, taking a sip of her tea and tries to smile. It's a nice day with friends, with nice food and good company – she should be happy. That happiness feels a little empty without three idiots at her side. “Yeah, just a little lost in thought. What were we talking about?”

  
Ino side eyed her disbelievingly but lets it go easily enough, for now. “I was just asking Hinata and Bug-bog where Kiba was, the guy isn't one to miss out on a good time.”

  
“Is that what we're calling this,” Shikamaru muttered, then grunted when Ino elbowed him. Shino showed no outside displeasure at being called 'Bug-boy' but you can never tell with the other teen.

  
“Oh, where is he then?” Sakura asked, genuinely curious. Ino's right, Kiba is always at gatherings like these, usually dragging his teammates behind him. She sometimes thinks he goes out of his way to make sure the two quieter shinobi interacted with other people. It's kind of sweet, when she thinks about it – in a very Kiba kind of way.

  
Hinata, after a false start that ended with Shino handing her a cup of water to calm her down, answers she. “He said he was attending a funeral of one of his Clan members, and that he'll be along soon.”

  
Oh. No one really knew what to say to that, because it's not exactly rare for shinobi to die, but the Inuzuka was basically one large family. Most of the Clans were related, but there's just something about the Inuzuka Clan that screams 'family' and closeness. Kiba – drunk and even more rowdy than usual – had once won fifty dollars off Naruto by being able to name every one of his Clansmen – all one hundred and thirty of them, from oldest to youngest. Even Shikamaru had been impressed.

  
She wonders which one of those names he'd slurred that night was being put to rest today. She takes a sip of her tea.

  
It's not long before a figure in black makes its way into the restaurant and over to their table, large white canine at his side. A large puff of air leaves him when he drops down into his chair. He runs a hand through his hair and accepts the cup that Shino hands him that is definitely not full of tea. He drowns half of it in one go and doesn’t even slam it down on the table like he usually would. Just holds it between his finger before Shino takes it from him and replaces it with something that might be tea.

  
“So what happened?” It was – surprisingly – Choji putting his foot in it and asking the question they all wanted to know. Inuzuka may not have been on of the Noble Clans, but that's through lack of powerful figures and through choice then anything. And you could have heard of an Inuzuka being killed in action, having a surprisingly small number of active shinobi for such a large Clan. They all still gave Choji their best judging looks anyway, curious or not. He raised his hands like to say 'what, someone else was going to ask anyway.' “I just want to know how drunk we should be getting tonight.”

  
True. Ino throws a glare his way anyway. Choji scratches his head sheepishly and mutters, “Sorry Kiba.” Shikamaru takes away his 'not tea' anyway, ignoring his best friends protest.

  
“It's fine,” The Inuzuka says, though there's a depth of exhaustion in his eyes for a moment as he gathers his thoughts. “It – It wasn't mission related or anything. A – ah – a disease of the head.”

  
This caused Sakura to straighten in her seat so fast that Ino startled a little from next to her. “Really? Were they a patient at the hospital?” Though she doubted it, she would have remembered someone with those distinctive tattoos. Maybe someone that married into the Clan? It would be easier to miss the red fangs on someones wrist rather than their faces.

  
Kiba's eyes get a little shifty at her question. “Ah, no, it's not usually something that requires a hospital and it's sometimes really hard to catch before hand. "Plus my Clan has its own clinics for these kinds of things, for when it does happen.”

  
“So does mental diseases run in the Clan?” Sakura really wishes she was closer to Shikamaru so that she could give him a good knock to the head. Asking friends if mental diseases ran in the family is not something you do. Luckily Ino is sitting much closer and does knock the Nara's head off the table, barley avoiding sending food every which way. Normally this would have made Kiba laugh, today he just watches with tired eyes.

  
“Yeah, kinda.” He says, which what? “Most Inuzuka have a chance of dying from it. Sometimes it's pretty obvious – happens over time, but other times the person seems perfectly normal until they … just snap.”

  
“And…” Tenten starts, and even she doesn't look certain on whether that's an invitation to continue or a pathetic half attempt to change the subject. Kiba was staring at the table in thought, but he continued.

  
“My Uncle Taiyō was one of the later,” Kiba took a sip from his drink, Sakura's lost track on whether it's tea or not - but probably so has he. “He stabbed my Cousin Seikatsu twice before anyone could subdue him. Shit, he was so out of control they had to – um, ah – rush the process. Normally everyone would be able to say their goodbyes b-before, but I didn't even hear about it until we got back from out last mission. Shit.”

  
Clawed fingers curled painfully into his hair and he takes several deep breaths. Sakura notes that Shino's chair has gotten unnaturally close to the other teens without her – or anyone else, she guesses – noticing. Hinata does nothing to hide the way she reaches out to grasp Kiba's – dangerous and sharp – hands, gently prying them off. She clasps one of them, fearlessly and ignoring how awkward having to reach across Shino must be to do so. “Don't worry Kiba-kun, it's painful now but you have us.”

  
Another sharp intake of breath. “Yeah, I know that. But he was m-.” He stops himself purposeful and seems to switch tracks. “It's just kinda scary, knowing someone can be taken away so quickly, but then it wasn't quick at all. That kind of shit only happens when you start to loss yourself, and that's the kind of thing that you should notice before you snap and end up sending your kid to the hospital!”

  
No one had anything to say to that, Hinata just squeezes his hands and Shino leans ever so slightly closer. Sakura would probably wonder if she'll have to one day worry about Kiba getting this disease, but then brush it off as unthinkable. She's met few people more certain of themselves and who they are then Kiba Inuzuka. It would have to be something extreme to drive Kiba over the edge the way he described.

  
(/ \\)

  
“So what do you think?” Tsunade asked, lacing her fingers under her chin as she stared at the Inuzuka Clan Head. “It would only be temporary, while the village is rebuilding. The Inuzuka Grounds, being mostly outside the village limits, got off a lot lighter than most. That being said, you'd be reimburse, money for food, water, shelter and such. Plus, the money you'd be payed for allowing us the use of your grounds should be more than enough to rebuild what Pain destroyed.”

  
“You do have a good point,” Tsume says, looking over the official scroll with a critical eye. “But it wouldn't just be me living with a bunch of strangers on our territory. I'll have to talk with some of the past Heads and see what they think, but you should have your answer by tomorrow.”

  
Tsunade nods her understanding and watched as the matriarch pockets the scroll and take her leave. She sighs as the doors shuts, one thing down a million more that needed to be done yesterday. Her eyes scan over several documents before Shikaku's thoughtful hum caught her attention. “What?”

  
“I may be mistaken,”The Nara said, eyes still firmly on the door. “But isn't leadership passed on through death in the Inuzuka Clan?”

  
She opens her mouth, but has nothing to say to that - because he's right. The old Head was in her eighties when she passed away and Tsume took up the role at twenty three. Tsunade felt her brows come together – now that she thought about it, how was the next Head chosen? Tsume was the great grand-niece of the last Head and there was at least a few older and more experienced - and more closely related to the last head - then her.

  
She opens her mouth, but then she remembers that she's working in a post office building and that most of her people are homeless, and decides that this can wait for later. Shikaku must understand her thoughts because he simply hands her another housing request and doesn't bring it up again.

  
So much work, so little time.

  
(/ \\)

  
Shino is often … hesitant to admit that he might have errored, especially if it meant proving Kiba right. But even he has to admit defeat after two hours of aimless wandering.

  
“We’re lost aren't we?” And he should have expected the hidden glee in his teammates voice, but it still makes his eye twitch. It’s ironic that nothing gets quite as under his skin as Kiba Inuzuka can, making him react rashly and with an uncharastic hot head. Luckily - for them because they were suppose to be keeping a low profile - Shino manges to ignore his male teammate. He also doesn’t respond, simply continues to stare intently at their map.

  
Hinata - still not used to their bickering even after several long missions and number of training exercises - glaces between them and frets.

  
Kiba laughs at both of them before taking ahold of their arms and dragging them along. “Come’n that’s the big temple that sensei told us about, which means that we’re close to the restaurant.”

  
And as such, close to their renaissance point.

  
Destination in mind, Shino stopped dragging his feet and Hinata’s own steps grew a bit less tentative. Kiba did not let go of their arms, but Shino didn’t shake him off either, so maybe he was just as at fault.

  
They are teammates after all, and sharing burdens is what they do.

  
(/ \\)

  
“I've never seen anything like it,” She was baffled, even as she flipped through what had to be the sixth medical book. “These symptoms don't add up.”

  
“Lady Hokage,” One of the medic-nin who were helping her was gasping for breath even as she called out to her. “The skin around the wound is changing color again.”

  
“Damn it, don't touch it directly,” She warned, moving over so that she can see what's going on and shit, a second ago it was a sickly yellow, now it's an unnatural shade of purple. “What the hell could this be? Switching body temperature from one extreme to the next without a moment's notice, strange rashes all over the body and that doesn't even-.”

  
The door to the ER flies open and a young women with very familiar markings came skidding inside. She had obviously ran all the way there, out of breath with a sweat shining her brow. “D-ha-don't reopen the wound.”

  
“Hana?” The Inuzuka nods at her before grabbing one of the medicine bowels from table. She was intent in her work as she slipped a small white square from her vest and pour it into the bowel, she starts grinding before she even starts to give the Hokage any of her attention.

  
“The name of the disease has been lost,” She says. “Because it hasn't been seen in Fire Country since long before the Village was even founded. It's actually quite simple to cure, but I had to leave the village limits to get some of the ingredients, that's why it took me so long to get here.”

  
“B-but if no one's heard of it of before then how did you-?” One of the medic-nin started.

  
“Does the Inuzuka Clan have a Book of Medicine?” Tsunade asks, she's seen the Nara's encyclopaedia, but she's never once heard of the ninken Clan having something similar.

  
“No, we don't write down our history - We remember it.” Was said without even looking at the Hokage, but the words carried more weight then they should. Hana was starting to gently apply the pasted she'd mixed around the wound.

  
“Then how did you get the cure to a forgotten disease?” Was all she could say when faced with that new bit of information. She's slightly unnerved when Hana doesn't even both to look up at her when she answers. That conversation with Shikaku about Tsume was in the forefront of her mind as she talked to the women's daughter.

  
Hana hummed and continued to keep most of her attention on the patient. “I remembered.”

  
(/ \\)

  
Most of the Inuzuka Clan lived in one large building in the middle of the grounds, to Naruto it looked they had taken several different houses and sown them together. It was all mismatched colors and walls that don't look like they should connect the way they do. At the same time, the place was obviously very lived in and loved. And, going by the barking and yells that they could hear long before the house actually came into view, very loud. The noise cuts off abruptly behind them and the four other boys turn towards the door in confusion.

  
“A silencing charm?” Shikamaru guessed, hand on his chin. “Or maybe a jutsu? Though I didn't know the Inuzuka Clan were able to-?”

  
“Oh, we're not,” Kiba confirms, only half turned towards the other boys, too busy trying to pull a stick out of Akamaru's mouth. The ninken wasn't giving it up without a fight, and normally this would have been enough to distract the blond, if Tsume Inuzuka hadn't decided to take that moment to step into the hallway.

  
The matriarchs eyes scanned them, judging their worth and Naruto had the feeling they all came up wanting, maybe even Kiba. Tsume just had that air of judgment and 'better than you' to her. Kinda like how Sasuke always used to look at him, before, except instead of pissing him off Tsume just kind of made him want to piss himself. It didn't make his pride feel any better, but even Neji stood up a little straighter when her slinted eyes passed over him, so Naruto doesn't feel too bad about it.

  
But in all honesty, Naruto is completely unprepared for whatever is happening right now. He's never been invited to a friends house – hell, he hasn't exactly had friends before this.

  
“Ah!” Tsume, the most terrifying women Naruto's ever meet, gives them a toothy grin when she sees them in the doorway. “My brat brought home more brats!”

  
“Shove it Ma,” Naruto – and the rest of the boys really – gap at the tattooed boy because - holy fuck Naruto doesn't even want to look her in the eye, let alone tell her off. “Come on guys, put your shoes up on the shelves or one of the dogs will get them.”

  
“Don't forget that I'm making dinner tonight!” Kiba groans in despair, and Naruto wonders if her cooking is really that bad. “And that means you shits better be washed and hungry, you got me?”

  
“Yeah Ma, we got ya,” With a waved hand Kiba motioned for everyone to hurry up and go up stares please before she starts talking about cleaning and shit. They're all almost to the top of the stares when Naruto catches Tsume saying something to Kiba in a low voice.

  
“Keep them out of the-.”

  
“I know Ma, I will.”

  
“And be careful about what you-.”

  
“Yeah, yeah I know, it's not like I'm the one that screwed up in front of the Hoka-.”

  
“Kiba.”

  
“Okay, I got ya Ma, be careful I know. This isn't my first go around.”

  
“Then act like it.”

  
Naruto hurries up the remaining stares, passing Shikamaru on his way. He'd rather not screw this up by being caught eavesdropping.

  
(/ \\)

  
When Shikamaru is eight he decides that he's going to put everyone in categories of 'Troublesome' and 'Not so troublesome'. Every women ever is automatically placed in the former and the later is occupied solely by Choji and – sometimes, when he's not siding with Mom – Dad. All his classmates also fall firmly in the 'Troublesome' side of things. Loud, messy, always doing stupid stuff.

  
Like now.

  
“I totally could make that shot,” Says one of the many idiots in Shikamaru's class. He's holding a bow that he'd liberated from the weapons shed while Iruka-sensei wasn't looking. Sensei was busy chasing after Naruto for one reason or another, leaving Shikamaru to watch his classmates make fools of themselves.

Normally he would have wandered off with Choji my now, but the other boy is at home with a nasty fever and apparently just because your best friend is home sick doesn't mean you get the day of. (Mothers are so troublesome.) He also might be slightly curious about how this will turn out. So here he is, watching from several feet away as one of his classmates plays with a deadly weapon. Shika could turn over to face the other direction, and he probably will once Sensei catches on to what's happening – probable deniability or something like that.

  
“No you can't Tibi,” One of the idiot boys idiot friends said. Shikamaru is starting to wonder if maybe he should just turning over. He might even get a nice nap in before Iruka-sensei's yelling makes it impossible. “You've never touched a bow in your life.”

  
Probably true, but that never stops the determined or the stupid – especially when you put them together in one nice little student sized package. Tibi raises the bow, aiming for a target painted one of the trees. He – unsurprisingly – holds it wrong and manages to completely butcher the shot, and Shika would almost be impressed that he even got the arrow to go anywhere - if he wasn't too busy bolting upright in horror.

  
Tibi's aim was way off, and instead of heading in the rather harmless direction of the trees it veers left – and directly at the Aburame kid. Shino, he seemed engrossed into whatever bug he was studying in the grass to pay attention to the shouts of horror that came from his classmates. Probably brushing it off as Naruto causing another disturbance like Shikamaru would have.

  
For a split second Shikamaru froze up when faced with the possible demise of one of his classmates. (This is what happens when Shikamaru comes to school without Choji.)

  
“Akamaru!” Several high pitched barks followed two blurs as they sped across the grass faster than Shikamaru's eyes could follow. He doesn't have to see them to know who it is, there’s only one person that fast in their year. And he's heading straight for the arrow.

  
'Oh,' Is the only this that has time to go through his mind between the time he registers who it is and Kiba slamming into the arrow.

  
The arrow spins off through the air, landing harmlessly in the grass. Kiba and Akamaru skid across the ground for a moment before coming to a halt.

  
There's a moment of stunned silence, then: “What is going on here?!”

  
It's Iruka and the students - even the ones that didn't do anything wrong - scatter. Because anyone with half a brain cell knew to get scares when Iruka Sensei was on a warpath.

  
It would be years before he makes a new category- ‘interesting, but still troublesome’. But this is the first step down the path that would place Inuzuka Kiba as the sole occupant of this new category.

  
(/ \\)

  
Out of all of his troublesome friends, Kiba appears to be the most … stable of them all. Or maybe steady or well rounded would be a better word for it. Projecting confidants and contentment. No rouge teammate or dead sensei. A happy, mostly alive, family and a fair Clan.

  
Many of their friends must think he’s the luckiest of them all. But, from years of observations and one instance of running into the Inuzuka wandering in a daze out in the rain, Shikamaru very much doubts that Kiba - or the whole Inuzuka Clan for that matter- is as carefree and open as everyone thinks.

  
There’s something going on with the ninken clan, but Shikamaru has just never had all the pieces to put it together.

  
Until today.

  
“I see you’ve gotten more Dispensables to throw away when it suits you.” There was a moment of confusion, and not just because a few of them had head injuries. The masked attacker- who had been brass enough to attack Konoha in broad daylight without any apparent back up. If only he didn't have good reasons to be confident enough to pull it off. - was talking to one specific person. He was staring at something behind Shikamaru’s back, and he had a sinking feeling that he knows what it is - or who for that matter.

  
“And I see that you're just as crazy as the last time I saw you,” Kiba was breathing heavily, but that took away none of the strange weight behind his words. Shikamaru wanted to turn and look at his long time friend, but taking her eyes off of the attacker is why Tenten is unconscious right now. “And sorry to disappoint, but this isn't going to end the same way it did last time.”

  
“Ah,” The bastard praticuly sighed in bliss at the apparent memory. “I miss the good old days, don't you?”

  
Kiba had moved forward so that he now stood next to Shikamaru, but he didn’t spare him a glance. He only had eyes for their attacker. “Not in the way you’re implying. Shikamaru be careful, this guy doesn’t play around.”

  
No fucking kidding.

  
Dammit, he wishes Naruto was here. Or any of Team Kakashi really, they’d be very useful right about now. What a shitty time to send them all to the Sand village.

  
Instead of voicing his dismay at the absence of they’re generations strongest team, Shikamaru voices a nagging question. “You know this guy?”

  
“Yeah,” Kiba dodges a sword at an impossible speed. He uses his backwards momentum to put even more distance between him and their opponent.

Shikamaru also jumps to the side, but the masked nin didn’t pay him a glance before trying to close the distance between him and the Inuzuka.

  
Kiba seemed to be doing a little better than the rest of them, dodging in all the right places and predicting techniques the rest of them have never seen before. It’s a lot like watching him spare with Shino or Hinata.

  
He doesn’t like what that implies.

"Hold still!" Was a shuttled from behind the mask as he swung his sword at Kiba again. The Inuzuka dodges easily, but still can't put enough distance between him and his opponent. This isn't looking good. "I just want to kill you again!" 

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave kudos and comments! They inspire me like nothing else!


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